Volleyball powers look to continue tourney runs

By ANDREW VOGELSports Writer Published: August 29, 2014 4:00 AM

1 of 1 Photos | View More Photos

The West Holmes, Orrville and Triway volleyball programs have unquestionably been three of the area's most consistent teams over the last 15 years. They routinely post 20-win seasons the way Aunt Jemima cranks out pancakes.

The sweet news for the three area squads that made the deepest tournament runs last year? Each one of them returns most, if not all, of its major contributors from last fall. Expect the trio of tradition-laden schools to stay alive deep into the tournament in October.

The Red Riders and Titans are both coming off banner years, with Orrville (22-4, 12-2 Ohio Cardinal Conference in 2013) capturing a share of just the third OCC title in program history and Triway (25-3, 14-0 Principals Athletic Conference) winning its fifth PAC title. The two rivals met in the Div. III Smithville District final, with Triway rallying from down match point to stun Orrville in five games and eventually reach the regional final, where it lost to Gilmour Academy. The Knights, meanwhile, took fourth in a loaded OCC and made it to the Div. II River View District final before falling to Dover, which went on to reach the state semifinals.

What's staggering is that all three squads could be even better than they were a year ago, because the combined number of contributors the three teams lost could fit inside an Accord. Orrville and Triway graduated just two players apiece from last year's squads, while West Holmes lost just one. Reaching the Final Four doesn't seem like an unrealistic goal for any of them.

"We have 22 chances to get better before the tournament starts," said West Holmes coach Jim Park."We have the ability and potential to do it, so is it a possibility? Sure, but we have to play well through districts and play a great match at regionals."

[Article continues below]

The other two squads will look to do the same.

Park looks for Knights to take the next step

With a rotation that included six sophomores, last season Park routinely joked that hardly any of his players were even old enough to drive. The Knights enjoyed a solid season, but Park said the youngsters' biggest weakness was not putting teams away after staking out a lead. The same problem cropped up last Saturday at Dalton, when the Knights won the first two games but the Bulldogs eventually prevailed in five. With a core that now has another year of experience under its belt, the goal is to steer toward more consistency.

The Knights must replace Paiten Strother, who was second in the area with 4.4 kills per game. Park's younger daughter Lauren Park will take over for Strother at outside hitter and her transition will be eased by her older sister Cara, who led the area with 11.6 assists per game. The Knights' other top hitters include Raichelle Erman (3.1 kills) and Madison Cox (2.4).

"Like any high-level team, ball control, no matter how good it is, can always be better," said Park, who's spent almost two decades in Millersburg and has a career record of 357-132 entering this season. "We don't have to pass the ball on a dime, because Cara's setting at a whole different level, but if we pass really well, we can be really good."

[Article continues below]

All the pieces are there for a trip to the Final Four and under Park, the Knights have reached state six times, including four in a row from 2001 to 2004.

"We've been blessed to have athletes since my first year here 19 years ago to this year," Park said. "You're not gonna go very far unless you have two or three big-time players."

Defending OCC champs won't fly under the radar

Given the program's success, it's unusual for Orrville to sneak up on anybody, but that was exactly the case last fall. Despite coming off a Final Four berth in 2012, the Riders had to replace four significant contributors from the previous year, as well as its coach. Even with a roster full of sophomores and a first-year coach in Whitney Dalessandro, all the Riders did was win a share of the rugged OCC.

Orrville's success started on the defensive end, with relentless effort in the back row that eventually wore out opposing front lines. The Riders didn't have one dominant hitter, but they had a slew of good ones and used them all effectively. With four girls averaging over 2.1 kills per game, Orrville was able to keep opposing defenses from keying on just one player. The team returns its top two hitters in Aleah Stauffer (2.9 kills) and Trinniti Hall (2.7 kills), the latter of whom was an All-Ohioan and as a sophomore turned into one of the area's most complete players. Setter Sarah Auble ranked second in the area with 10.6 assists.

"Orrville is the consummate volleyball team," Park said. "They play the game as a team as well or better than anybody we'll play all year."

Dalessandro, a 2008 Orrville grad who played for legendary coach Diane Shanklin, said the passion for volleyball is something that's present at the younger levels and has been a huge part of the program's success. Orrville boasts the area's only state championship, which Shanklin's Riders won in 2003.

"I can remember, even as a little girl, we've always had competitive teams," Dalessandro said. "The girls work hard and want to win. That tradition of competitiveness and will to win has made it soar from way-back-when to now."

Triway hoping Skeens' supporting cast breaks out

While Orrville's success was more nuanced, Triway's run to Elite Eight boiled down to one main factor -- the Titans had Sara Skeens and the opposing team did not.

As a sophomore, Skeens led the area in kills (6.2) and aces (1.4), while also ranking sixth in digs (3.6). As arguably the most dominant player in the area, she single-handedly got Triway within one game of the first Final Four berth in program history. Simply put, when Skeens hits it, either in the front row or at the service line, for opponents it's like trying to dig out a medicine ball.

While Skeens tore her ACL during basketball season in January, she's fully recovered and Finn said she may be better than she was a year ago. The mere thought of that possibility should give opposing coaches migraines.

However, in order for the Titans to match last year's success, they will need more contributions from the players around her. Too often last season, Skeens played the piano and the other five players on the court carried it. In order for the Titans to have a shot at advancing out of districts again, much less get through regionals, they have to find hitters that can stand in for a few measures, rather than relying on Skeens to perform the whole concerto.

"We're not a one-person team," Triway coach John Finn said, "but when you have a player like that, there's a tendency to stand around and watch and then the next ball's coming and we're not ready. We can't have that same success riding Sara's coattails because Orrville's too good and there's too many other good teams."

Two of the top candidates to help Skeens in the front row are Brooke Drost (6-foot-2) and Hailey Baney. Courtnay Cruise also saw significant varsity action but is rehabbing a knee injury of her own, but Finn hopes she'll be a big part of the offense as well. Andrea Coblentz returns as the setter, but the Titans are switching to a 6-2 rotation, meaning that Abby Frye will also pace the attack.

"Our presence at the net is what will make the difference," Finn said. "You can never take passing and setting for granted, but for us to go to the next level, we have to have a large presence at the net beyond Sara."

Finn took over for Jacki Zody, who won more than 200 games in 11 years, prior to last season. While Finn enjoyed plenty of success of his own at Central Christian, where he had a record of 140-47 in seven seasons and led the Comets to the Div. IV state championship game in 2012, he has inherited a program that is well-stocked.

"Coach Zody got these kids playing and these kids have played for a lot of years," Finn said. "They're passionate about the sport and they've carried it on so volleyball's a big deal at Triway."

From the day he took over, Finn has been adamant that his goal is to take Triway to the same place he took Central -- to the state semifinals in Dayton. After coming up one game short last November, the goal remains the same this time around.

"We recognize we're in a tough district with four teams that can beat us," he said. "We're not assuming anything but the goal has not changed. We know it's a tough road to get there, but it's certainly our goal and we do it unashamedly."

This fall, Triway's two neighboring rivals will make the same case.

Andrew Vogel can be reached at 330-287-1624 or avogel@the-daily-record.com. Follow him on Twitter at @andvogel.